Have you ever successfully trained a cat to walk with a harness and leash?
How did you do it? Only answer if you have successfully done this. Thanks.
Yes, I have successfully trained cats to walk with harness and leash, both pedigreed Siamese and rescued former strays.
It’s certainly not at all impossible to get a cat to walk on a leash, my cats do. It’s easier if you train them as kittens but I have trained adults. Get them a good secure harness (for example Lupine makes sturdy collars and leashes and harnesses for dogs and cats). Get out the harness and some kind of treat your cat loves , have it so they see the treat container and know they’re about to get something tasty, and put the harness on and immediately give them the treat.
Some cats might throw a fit at the feeling of the harness, they might writhe around trying to get it off etc. but just leave it on for a minute or two at first, take it off, give them praise and play with them a bit.
When you give treats try to do it if theres a moment in which they’re not throwing a fit. 
Just try putting on the harness every day with same routine, each time leaving it on longer with lots of praise and petting and keep giving their favorite treat so they associate something pleasant with the harness.
You can start to do things like feed them a meal while they are wearing it or try to engage them in play with a wand toy, laser pen etc. to get them to not think about the feeling of this weird thing on their body. Hopefully they get used to it and it will be no big deal and they’ll just run around the house in the harness.
At that point you try attaching a leash .and they may at first get tangled in the leash, bite it/play with it, or sit down and refuse to budge. You can encourage the cat to start to walk by putting a treat down a little bit in front of him, or using a wand toy you hold out and move in front of them. Then they take a step toward the treat or toy. … then try it so they’ll have to take a few steps…. et voila they find out they can walk !
When you go outside, just let the cat explore wherever and you follow along, don’t try to force them into going where you want. And that may be as far as you get but if so, you have still made a huge progress and it’s a way you can take your cat out and give them a little adventure whilst still keeping safe.
But after they are getting used to being able to walk around with the leash, you can try to encourage them to walk with you, by getting in front, bending down and calling them to come to you, (and this is where some more treats (preferably no carb, like dried fish or freeze dried meat) can be handy to attract and reward them for coming. ).You don’t have to keep giving so many treats but at first it can help.
Taking a cat out on a leash is not like walking a REALLY well trained dog, at least i have not seen cats who heel like dogs in obedience trials! . But some cats get to the point of walking as well as an average leash trained dog, and many cats can at least get used to generally moving in a forward direction especially if you keep taking the walk on the same paths and it becomes familiar to them.
It’s natural for a cat to make its rounds in its territory, sniffing certain posts, corners of buildings etc. and rubbing its cheek on them to leave its own scent.
I adopted a cat who had been an unneutered tom running the streets so was used to having a wider territory and patrolling it. He was very territorial and it settled him to have a routine of patrolling. Fortunately he got over spraying but would mark by rubbing his cheek on things. He got stressed out if he missed his regular patrol walk..
Good luck! hope you and your cat will be successful.
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